When his lover Jason’s drug addiction spiraled out of control, TV celebrity chef and cookbook author Adam de Leon walked away from him. Adam also abandoned his renowned restaurant in San Francisco to start a small bistro in the Sierra Foothills.

Five years later Adam is battling the conservative leaders of Stone Acres, California, to open a new restaurant in historic Old Town when Jason turns up on his doorstep—a recovered Jason, now going by the name David and claiming he’s overcome his addictions. What’s more, he begs Adam to take him back and says he’s ready for their happily ever after.

Adam has enough on his plate with problems plaguing the opening of his restaurant. And now he’s having a hard time deciding which to follow—his head or his heart.

Pages or Words: 29,800 words

Categories: Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Excerpt:

I watched Jason rise from the stoop.

He looked good. His golden hair sparkled in the day’s first light. A happy smile tinged with nervousness spread across his lips. He was wearing a silver-gray Bogner jacket, some sort of expensive pants, and sturdy boots. Hanging from his shirt collar, his sunglasses looked like those high-priced titanium ones. All in all, the guy standing in front of me could easily have fit into the young, hip app crowd now flooding the valley. Too much money and no idea where to spend it. He looked like a guy who’d eat at the Bistro and then fucking strut up to me after dinner, put a wad of Franklins in my pocket, and whisper, “Quit this job and come cook for me.”

Nothing tempted me, especially not the hundred-dollar bills I’d thought were Monopoly money the first time I’d seen them. Nothing had moved me like this, seeing Jason rise straight up in front of me like a fucking miracle.

Standing there in my scuffed clogs, beat-up jeans, and ratty Stanford Cardinal T-shirt, I felt underdressed for this particular dream. Shouldn’t I at least be wearing my chef’s regalia, toque and all? Shouldn’t I have a Henckel in one hand and a Wüsthof in the other? Or maybe clutching a shield made of my cooking classics, which I’d written with an angry, tormented mind but a clear eye to royalties?

“Cat got your tongue?” the vision asked.

“Fucking A, man. Is it really you, Jason?”

“Sorta. Who else would come knocking at your door looking like me?” He flung his arms out like he wanted me to hug him or some shit.

I backed away and kept my hands to myself, though my dick perked up immediately. Did Jason have a twin or a younger brother, somebody who resembled him? I didn’t think so. All I’d thought for five years was nobody—and I mean nobody—could ever have come back from where my Jason had buried himself. At least I never thought so.

There’ve been moments in my life when I was sure I was losing my mind. When I knew whatever tenuous grasp on reality I thought I had was really smoke up my ass. This moment smacked of those. As the legendary John Fogerty sang and the great Yogi Berra is supposed to have said, it was like déjà vu all over again. Only not.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I asked. Suspicion tasted bitter on my tongue.

Slowly his arms came down, and he gave me a pained but understanding look.

“Yeah, well, it was too much to hope we’d just kiss and make up.” His husky croak had once made me roll over and do anything he asked, but not now. “Can I come in? It’s a little chilly out here.”

I wasn’t cold, but then I’m tall and stout, a real cliché chef image. Fuck, I guess somebody’s got to be the cliché, right? It’s how clichés are born.

I shrugged at his question, swiped at the sweat rolling from my forehead, and moved aside. “Kitchen’s downstairs.” I gestured to the steps.

He walked past me, letting his hand trail over my groin. Once I would have nearly come at the gesture. Now I ignored my dick because my mind was numb and had been for years. He might think he could reawaken my love and lust, but I was pretty fucking sure that ship had sailed and gotten lost at sea.

We are happy to have David from When Adam Fell by Pat Henshaw today on the blog!!

Hi David,

Thanks for being here, we just have a few questions for you today.

Hey ladies! Thanks for the invite. I'm happy to be here!

Now that you’ve gotten together, what comes next?

I honestly don’t know. Adam hasn’t said anything about getting married and I’m not expecting him to. We’ve been together since high school except for recently when I was in rehab. So I think we have to settle down together again before we look much further than a few years in the future.

What was the hardest thing for you to overcome that you didn’t expect to be an issue?

Drug addiction. Everything happened pretty gradually. You know, a party here, a toke there. Adam was making powerful chef friends and staying late after restaurants and cafes closed to talk shop, so I was feeling a little left out and unwanted. I was shocked at how hooked I was when I went to dry out. All along I’d told myself I could quite any time. No problem. But that wasn’t true.

Who or what makes you laugh out loud?

Adam has this mentee named Damon who’s a little shit. Some of the stuff he says and does cracks me up all the time. He’s so bright-eyed and eager, yet wants to be seen as a gangster that even thinking about him makes me smile.

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Usually whatever the newest Ben & Jerry’s flavor is. Adam says I have to upgrade my palate, but I like B&J, not Talenti’s or Cappanari’s or whatever premium ice cream comes along.

What movie will you watch over and over again?

I love “It’s a Wonderful Life,” especially when I’m feeling down and unappreciated by The Thug Chef. He knows he hasn’t been paying enough attention to me when he sees me watching it, and I can usually get him to talk to me then.

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie in exchange for a fair and honest review. ***

Adam de León is a famous chef, who just left everything behind and moved to Sierra Foothills after he realized there was nothing else he could do to help his lover, Jason, who was a drug addict and slowly killing himself. Unable to see him die, he goes away, and the last thing he expected was to have Jason on his doorstep five years later, looking very much alive and healthier than he'd seen him in years. Jason is now David, he's turned his life around and now he just wants Adam back. But is Adam ready to just forgive, forget and move on?

I loved this book! I think out of all the other books in the series, this is my favorite and Adam and David are definitely my favorite couple! I just loved how it all progressed, everything from the push Jason needed to get clean, to Adam having to leave and even if it wasn't easy for him, giving Jason/David a second chance and finding a common ground as they both realized the mistakes they made the first time around and actually did their best to avoid falling in their old patterns, was very realistically done and of course, their love came shining through it all.

Definitely a fantastic addition to a fabulous series! Well written, emotional and all around fantastic! Very recommendable!

Rating: 5 Stars!!!

Meet the author:

Pat Henshaw, author of the Foothills Pride Stories, was born and raised in Nebraska where she promptly left the cold and snow after college, living at various times in Texas, Colorado, Northern Virginia, and Northern California. Pat enjoys travel, having visited Mexico, Canada, Europe, Nicaragua, Thailand, and Egypt, and Europe, including a cruise down the Danube.

Now retired, Pat has spent her life surrounded by words: Teaching English composition at the junior college level; writing book reviews for newspapers, magazines, and websites; helping students find information as a librarian; and promoting PBS television programs.

Her triumphs are raising two incredible daughters who daily amaze her with their power and compassion. Fortunately, her incredibly supportive husband keeps her grounded in reality when she threatens to drift away while writing fiction.